The present invention relates generally to foam dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to a hand-held or apparatus particularly suitable for use in dispensing two-component foams, such as urethane foams, wherein the apparatus includes a detachable dispensing assembly interconnected to the foam component supply which dispensing assembly may be positioned and used remotely from the foam component supply.
The use of urethane and similar expandable foams has increased over the years for numerous applications. Urethane foams are well known as having desirable characteristics useful for many applications, such as insulation. Urethane foams are also well known for their compatibility with low cost blowing agents which allow such foams to be applied by way of pressurized containers as well as their natural adhesive qualities which allow such foams to bond excellently to any number of substrates. Typically, urethane foams are the reaction product of two individual components, one being a foaming agent and the other being a resin. These two individual components when reacted together, give the resultant foam various chemical compositions, each such composition having significant utility in a particular application. Thus, urethane foams may be specially formulated to provide a final foam which is rigid, semi-rigid or flexible.
Closed cell urethane foams have particular utility in building and structural insulation while open cell urethane foams have particular utility in packaging or non-insulating purposes. Regardless of cell structure, two-component urethane foam are typically formed by mixing the two or more individual foam components together when the foam components exit respective supply containers. Individual material supply tubes leading from each foam component container convey the foam components to a foam dispensing apparatus, such as a nozzle.
The dispensing and mixing nozzle is typically part of an overall foam dispensing apparatus and may utilize a gun-like structure wherein a trigger assembly is used to dispense foam from the apparatus nozzle. The foam component containers are connected to the dispensing apparatus, whereby each component is conveyed from a respective separate container by an individual material supply tube into the dispensing nozzle. The two foam components are mixed together and the reacted foam is applied through the nozzle. The dispensing apparatus typically includes an inlet assembly which receives the foam components from the foam component supply containers, a body portion, an actuating means formed in the body portion such as a trigger assembly by which to control the dispensing of the foam, and a nozzle assembly having an opening from which the foam exits.
During operation of such dispensing apparatus, the separate foam components exit from their respective containers and enter a mixing chamber where they are blended together and expanded to form the urethane foam which then exits the spray nozzle at the outlet opening. Foam dispensing apparatus which are typical of the gun-like structures described above are disclosed in two of assignee's patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,676,437 and 4,925,107. Another foam dispersing apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,110. For the most part, these foam dispensing apparatus utilize a somewhat complex foam dispensing gun member which is tethered to large foam component supply containers. These containers are somewhat bulky and cumbersome and may require excessive length material supply tubes for the dispensing nozzle to reach tight places. Additionally, such foam dispensing apparatus are complex and may surpass the understanding of an ordinary consumer.
The present invention is therefore directed to an easily assembled foam dispensing apparatus which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages. In the present invention, two foam component supply containers are held in place by an carrier assembly and the apparatus includes a dispensing assembly which is detachable from the carrier such that the apparatus is easily operable with either one or two hands.
In one principal aspect of the present invention, the entire dispensing apparatus is contained in a carton as a unit. The carton contains two foam component supply canisters and an actuating assembly in the form of two foam component supply tubes, each having a preselected length which is sufficient to permit a dispensing assembly attached to the supply tubes to be operated remotely from the carton while interconnected thereto. The material supply tubes, dispensing assembly and one or more detachable dispensing nozzles are positioned within a predesignated area within the carton so that the apparatus may be sold as a single unit. The carton not only functions as a carrier assembly for the dispensing apparatus, but also functions as a shipping container therefor.
In another principal aspect of the present invention, the dispensing apparatus includes a carrier which holds two foam component supply canisters in place and incorporates an actuating/handle assembly to ensure simultaneous release of the two foam components from their respective supply canisters through foam component supply tubes. The tubes extend to a foam dispenser which includes a dispensing nozzle. The dispenser detachably engages the carrier so that it may be detached and remotely operated away from the supply canisters adjacent a workplace such that it is easily operated with one or two hands. The carrier is capable of holding the supply canisters in place in either an upright or inverted orientation.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, a pair of separate foam component supply canisters are received within a carrier assembly, the carrier assembly having means for conveying the contents of the foam component supply canisters to a separate foam component supply tubes which, in turn, convey the foam components to a dispensing assembly where they are mixed, expanded and dispersed by way of a nozzle member. The foam component supply tubes are of a length sufficient to permit detachment of the dispensing assembly from the apparatus and to permit the operation thereof remote from the foam supply.
In yet another principal aspect of the present invention, the foam dispensing apparatus includes a carrier assembly formed from a paperboard or cardboard carton which holds the foam supply component canisters in place and further provides a package for the entire dispensing apparatus. The supply canisters may be arranged in an inverted fashion within the carton and further interconnected to the dispenser by a pair of elongated foam component supply tubes. The dispenser includes means for detachably engaging the carton to permit the mounting of the dispensing assembly thereon such that at the option of the user, the apparatus may be used with the dispensing apparatus in place on the carrier or remote therefrom, the distance at which the dispenser can be used being governed by the length of the foam component supply tubes.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved, compact foam dispensing apparatus for dispensing two-component foams, which apparatus may be operated easily with one or two hands.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved foam dispensing apparatus having a foam dispensing member interconnected to two foam component supply canisters by a pair of supply tubes, the supply tubes conveying foam components to the foam dispensing member and permitting the dispensing member to be detached from the apparatus and operated remotely from the foam supply canisters adjacent a work area.
It is yet a still further object of the present invention to provide a simple foam dispensing apparatus which can be easily operated by an ordinary consumer in which the apparatus includes a carrier member containing two upright foam component supply containers the carrier member including a combined handle-actuating assembly, the handle-actuating assembly having means for aligning a pair of material supply tubes with the foam component supply containers and actuating the same to convey foam components from the supply container to a dispensing member which detachably engages to the carrier member to permit the dispensing member to be operated remotely from the carrier member.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a foam dispensing apparatus which includes a carrier assembly in the form of a carton, the carton containing two-inverted foam component supply containers and a foam dispensing assembly which detachably engages the carton, the dispensing assembly being interconnected to the foam component supply containers by series of foam supply tubes the carton further having manually actuable means to release the foam components from the supply canisters.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a foam dispensing apparatus which is easy to operate wherein the foam dispensing apparatus includes a foam dispenser having a digitally operable pivoting cam valve.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a carton blank which can be formed into a carrier assembly for a foam dispensing apparatus, the blank having means for positioning at least two foam component supply canisters within a first compartment, the blank having a second compartment, which when formed into a carrier assembly, contains means for maintaining an actuating assembly in an actuation position and the blank further having means for detachably engaging a foam dispenser.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate the parts.